5.11.2004
With friends like these–
[Posted 2:57 PM by John Derbyshire]
I attach an e-mail exchange I recently had. Perhaps readers of AV might be
able to help.
[A reader in Texas]–Mr Derbyshire, do you know who said something like:
“Whenever I see a friend succeed, a little part of me dies”? It’s either
Oscar Wilde or Samuel Pepys, unless it’s someone else. I thought you might
know. I couldn’t find it on Google. Thank you very much.
[My reply]–_Sounds_ Wildean, but he’s one of those people who get “stuck”
with all sorts of clever remarks, like Mark Twain & Churchill. It’s often
very hard to track these things down. Anyway, it’s not in either of my
dicts of quots. And it’s a bit “off” for Wilde — he was very conscious of,
& very pleased with, his own success. My guess _in vacuo_ would have been
Max Beerbohm. I _do_ however know who said: “I have never for many years
heard of a friend’s death without envying him.” That was Goethe.
THE WINNING ANSWER:
I’m fairly certain the quote is from Gore Vidal.
Sincerely,
Cristina Concepcion